Be My Everything
by TheLostSailor
Summary: Tori Vega was an outcast who was tormented on a daily basis. Jade West was a popular kid who many called a psychotic bitch. When the latter was expelled and made to go to public-school, she soon realised that she'd been one of the lucky ones and made a decision that became the basis of an unlikely relationship. (On hiatus until May due to a death in my family & a heavy study load).
1. Classrooms & Bathrooms

Raindrops pattered against the window. Pupils clicked the tops of their pens. Fingernails drummed across wooden tables. And Mr. Newbury was slowly lulling his class to sleep with talk of limestone. After what seemed like an eternity, the bell rang, and before the teacher could finish his sentence, students were filing out of the door. Less than a minute later, the classroom had been abandoned by everybody except one girl. Her name was Tori Vega.

The girl that spent her lunchtimes helping her teachers... Well, in all honesty she was really helping herself. She'd learnt on many occasions that the other kids no longer liked her, and she would avoid them at any cost. Wiping boards, sweeping floors, and scraping gum from under desks was that cost. But hey, at least she was garnering some extra credit for her troubles.

Tori dropped her backpack in the corner of the room, and then made her way to the supply-closet. She took the key that was hanging around her neck and twisted it in the lock. The door opened, and the motion-activated light switched on. She sighed as looked around the small space, and then began gathering the usual things.

To keep her spirits up, Tori chose an upbeat playlist on her PearPhone, and hummed along whilst she cleaned. She even danced a little when her favourite tunes came on. Before she knew it, she'd done everything she needed to do, and despite her best efforts, she couldn't find any dirt. When she looked at the time, she frowned. There were still 15 long minutes to spare. Most teenagers would be happy about that. Not Tori. 15 minutes to her, meant countless opportunities to be targeted.

Since Newbury had made it clear that she shouldn't stick around for longer than needed, Tori locked up like a good-girl, and scampered off to the 9th grade bathrooms. Tori _wasn't_ a freshman; she was a junior. But because the freshman bathrooms were full of younger, not-yet-fully-fledged bitches, she felt a little safer in there.

Thankfully she made it into a stall without incident, and she plonked herself down on the toilet. Absentmindedly, Tori scanned over the back of the door, but her attention was caught when she spotted her name. A lump formed in her throat as she read the hurtful graffiti, and she had to fight back tears. Even though nobody was around, she knew that if she cried, they won. Tori leant back against the tank and put in her earphones. Closing her eyes, she concentrated all of her energy on getting lost in the music.

When she opened her eyes, she felt revitalised, but immediately noticed the music had stopped playing. Upon checking the time, it became evident to her that she'd fallen asleep, and her heart started racing. Tori rushed out of the bathroom, and through the empty corridors. Standing outside the science lab, she noticed how unsteady she was. She pressed her shaking hands against her thighs, and took deep breaths until she'd calmed down.

Pulling the door open, she said, "I'm so sorry I'm late, Miss."

"She's not here, you little kiss-ass," Amy said. "Why're you late, huh?"

Tori sat down on her stool and didn't look back. She knew there was trouble coming; Amy and her crew were never up to anything good.

"Probably because she's slow," Charlotte said.

"I heard that she got held back a year because she's so slow," Pipa added.

"Her mom probably dropped her on her head when she was a baby, because she's a drunk."

Tori clenched her fists, and tears began clouding her vision. She'd told Amy about her mom's drinking problem in confidence. Besides that, it didn't actually start until after her dad passed away a few years prior, and Amy knew that. But it didn't stop her from spreading rumours and making horrible comments. Tori knew better than to fight it though. Fighting always made it worse.

"That would explain a lot," Pipa muttered.

Tori couldn't stop the tears from falling, and a single sob escaped her. She tried to block out the laughing and nasty remarks by shutting her eyes, but it didn't work. And when her lab partner touched her shoulder in an attempt to comfort her, it only made her break-down further.

A moment later, Ms. Bishop returned to the lab with a stack of photocopies, and she noticed the crying girl that she knew had only turned up in the last 5 minutes or so. "What's going on, Victoria?"

"The poor thing's broken up about her father, that's why she was late to class, Miss," Amy answered in a faux-caring tone. A chorus of mhmm's and yeah's followed.

Tori shook her head, but she couldn't get any words out due to her erratic hiccups. Ms. Bishop interpreted Tori's worsening state as confirmation, and rather than warning her for being late, or asking again, she said, "You're dismissed."

The Latina nodded and stood up, and as she left, Amy put her in her place with a glare that made her blood run cold. Tori was so intent on getting out of there, that it wasn't until she was in the foyer that she realised she'd forgotten her bag.

She began traipsing back to the lab, and when she was halfway up the stairs, the bell rang. She picked up her pace and began jogging, and then she heard the familiar bustle of footsteps and a hundred voices at once. Tori fought against the crowd all the way to the end of the corridor, and when she finally reached the room, everyone was gone.

Tori desperately searched for her backpack, but when she couldn't find it, she knew that Amy must've taken it. Her heart skipped a beat, and she began going over what was in the bag. Unfortunately she was so exhausted, she couldn't recall much. It was inevitable though; the gank would find _something_ to use against her.

She cussed under her breath as panic set in, and it was times like these that Tori seriously wished a blackhole would consume her, and drop her into an alternate-reality. Her life sucked.

* * *

><p><em>If you're still with me:<em>

_• Thanks-a-bunch for reading :)._

_• I hope you liked this/will be coming back for more. If you won't be, goodbye & tell me why?_

_• Feedback is a great source of inspiration for me, and any reviews will be received with gratitude._

_• I'll be updating this story on Wednesdays & Saturdays unless stated otherwise in advance._

_• I hope your 2015 is off to a decent start. Make the best of your life!_

_~ TLS_


	2. What Happens Next

A receptionist stood in the corridor, and waited patiently whilst an eccentric man explained the task at hand. When he stopped talking, groups of teenagers began gathering, and the receptionist made her way to the front of the room. Erwin Sikowitz was sitting centre stage with a coconut in his hand, and a piece of cheese hanging around his neck. His style, or lack thereof, was never a thing, and if you were meeting him for the first time, you'd assume that a homeless man had broken into a school. But within Hollywood Arts, he was a well-known and respected teacher.

Sikowitz accepted the small slip of paper that the woman held out, and unfolded it. His eyebrows did a dance on his forehead as he read it, and then he looked up and said, "Got it."

The receptionist nodded and promptly left the classroom, but her short-lived presence hadn't gone unnoticed by the pupils.

"What was that about?" Cat asked.

"Now now, my little synthetic redhead. It's none of your business," he answered.

Sikowitz stood up and patted Cat's hair, which made her pout disappear. He smiled and then said, "We're going warm up with alphabetical improvisation. If your group gets to Z without messing up, I shall reward you with candy."

"Yay, I love candy!" Cat exclaimed.

The room was silent, and everybody turned to the source of the noise.

"Students, park your butts in your seats this instant so we can get to work."

Everybody sat down, and Cat ushered her group onto the stage.

"Alphabetical improv. Begin!" Sikowitz said dramatically.

"Are you stupid? I think you're stupid," Jade said.

"Bitch please, I'm a genius."

"Cat _is_ a genius," André agreed.

"Dude, isn't she just," Beck added.

"Erm, what about me, your girlfriend?

"Forget you, Jade," Rex said.

"Girl, it's okay. I think you're a genius too."

"Hallelujah! At least somebody recognises my immeasurable genius."

"I think Cat was just being nice," Robbie said.

"Jealous much, puppet boy," Jade sniped.

"Kinda. Didn't you know? Robbie's hopelessly in love with Cat, and he's been tryi-" Rex began.

"Let me get that for you!" Robbie said, pulling on his puppet's hair.

"Master, please don't disconnect my luscious butt from your supple hand, I'll die," The puppet pleaded.

Jade rolled her eyes, and said, "No. I'm not going to stand here, whilst you have a conversation with yourself."

"Okay. Now that's been established, did you see the vine of the baby ducks?" Beck asked.

Cat shook her head and smiled. "Please, tell me more about the vine of the baby ducks. What did it entail?" she asked.

"Quacking. A whole lotta quacking," André answered.

"Right. That's sounds, um-"

"So cute!"

"Thank-you, Cat. So cute is totally what I was gonna say."

Cat said, "Uh-huh, I know. What happened next in the duck vid?"

"Violence. Duck on duck, violence," André said.

"What? Why?" Robbie questioned.

There was a short pause, and then Beck said, "Xylitol. Boy, that stuff makes even the sweetest creatures lose it."

"Yeah, I've heard something like that before..."

"Zebra! I thought I was a zebra when i drank xylitol. And that's why you shouldn't drink, people," Cat said.

Sikowitz clapped slowly, and then spun around and wobbled. "That, guys and girls, is how improv is done. Now, here is the candy you were promised. I hope it's sweet," he said.

Beck, André and Robbie put their razzles away, whilst Jade and Cat indulged in a few. The 5 friends sat in their chairs, and watched other students perform the MMA (mandatory method act). Sikowitz poured and sprayed various liquids on them, and threw pool-floats, fedoras, teddy-bears, and food stuff at them; to see how they'd react. The majority broke character in the first 2 minutes, and those who didn't, weren't really acting anyway. How most of them got into HA was a genuine mystery to all. The only people with talent in that classroom, had already left the stage.

* * *

><p>The school-day came to an end, and fortunately Jade West had avoided the humiliating fate of the MMA. She was just about to leave when Sikowitz said her name. Jade turned around, and he gave her <em>the look<em>. She shooed her gang away, and when the door clicked shut, she raised her studded brow.

"What have I done this time?"

Sikowitz shrugged. "I don't know. I was merely asked to keep you here until the principle arrives, so please, have a seat, any seat," he said.

"Why here?"

"I don't know, I'm not an oracle. I'm just a man with his coconut, all alone... But I have an inkling that it may be because you smashed her office up in defiance last time you were there. Remember?"

"Oh."

Jade opted not to sit down, because she knew she'd feel like a naughty child sitting in a little plastic chair whilst being chastised. Instead she stood with her hands on her hips, looking rather disinterested. A moment later, the door opened and Helen strutted in. She looked the girl up and down, and then said, "Jade."

"_Helen_."

"That's Ms Dubois to you, missy."

"School's over Helen, I can call you whatever I want," Jade said.

"You know what, I'm not going to dignify that with a response, so le-"

"You just did," Jade remarked.

"Oh, I am so sick of your smart mouth, and I was going to be polite, but not anymore. I am dee-lighted to be informing you, that you are suspended indefinitely, and let me make myself very clear. I'll be at your disciplinary hearing, and I _will_ be seeing to it that you are expelled... So you better start looking for a new school, child."

Jade felt like she'd been punched in the gut, but her demeanour remained stoic. She headed for the door, but was forced to step backwards when the guidance counsellor, and her mother walked in.

"Hi Jade. We need to have a conversation, an-"

"I'm being expelled," Jade stated.

Lane turned and glared at Helen, and then looked back at Jade. "I know you're upset, but if you sit down, we can talk about how it came to this," he said in whisper.

Jade shook her head. "We're leaving now, mom," she said, grasping her mom's arm as she walked out the door.

She heard Lane and Sikowitz pursuing them, and her mom was resisting, so she let go of her. Jade stormed through the hallway and out into the carpark, and the moment she was in passengers seat, she found herself crying. Something she hadn't done for months.

Hollywood Arts was Jade's safe haven. That's where all her friends were. It was her chance to have a career in show business, and it was the only place she actually looked forward to going. That school was more of a home to her than home.

When Fiona West joined her daughter in the car, she wrapped her arms around her as if she were still a small child, and whispered 'it's gonna be okay,' over and over in her ear. After a few minutes, Jade tore out of the embrace, and looked at her mom.

"Why?" she asked.

All Jade wanted to know was why. She hadn't done anything particularly horrible recently that she could recall. So why?

"It's a long story sweetie. Wanna talk about it over shakes and fries?"

"Give me the short story then," Jade said.

"Umm, okay. There were police officers, and they had drug dogs. They searched students lock-"

"I didn't have drugs in my locker," Jade interjected.

Her mom sighed. "I know. Are you going to let me finish?" she asked.

"Well, it sounds like bullshit to me, and I'm hungry, so not now," Jade said.

"Come on then, let's get outta this place."

Whilst her mom drove, Jade took to her phone. She tapped away, and by the time they arrived at Inside-Out Burger, she'd sent messages to her friends about her situation, and posted a questionable status on TheSlap about the school, what they should do, and where they should go. Her entire world had just been turned upside down, and she'd never felt so helpless in her life. What was going to happen next...

* * *

><p><em>I hope you liked this chapter! I know it was a bit bleak, but that's life, eh. The next chapter will be Jade-centric, and she'll be meeting Tori for the first time. <em>

_And I wanna say, thank-you-so-much for all the follows/reviews/favourites! Each and every one of them made me smile like a Cheshire Cat. I appreciate it more than youse could even imagine. Thanks again. _

_~ TLS_


	3. Purple Ties

_Note: The story's now being told in Jade's POV._

* * *

><p>When I got home, I had a shower, and then sat on my bed. My mom came to talk to me, and she explained what had happened. Turns out the police had received an anonymous tip about the drug trade within HA, and they launched a school-wide search. The LAPD's dogs marked over a dozen lockers, and mine just happened to be in the vicinity of Robbie Shapiro's. Who would've guessed that puppet boy was involved.<p>

In my locker they didn't find any drugs. They found a pair of scissors; a violation of the school's zero-tolerance policies or something. I found that extremely ironic considering the exterior of my locker had 15 pairs of scissors pinned to it, and nobody ever said anything about that. I'd also carried scissors around the school more times than I could remember, and nobody ever said anything about that. But this pair of scissors were big enough to be a 'potentially dangerous weapon' apparently... It's not like I threatened anybody with them, and they'd just been sitting in my locker since Cat gave them to me on my birthday. Complete and utter bullshit.

I'm a big girl though, and after I cried, I pulled myself together and got over it. Me and my mom started looking for new schools in the area, and we found 6. However due to the circumstances surrounding my transfer, only 2 were willing to accept me. Sherwood High and Northridge High. _The_ worst schools in the history of schools.

The disciplinary thing was being held the following Monday, and I'd find out what they'd decided the same day. Because of the high probability I was being expelled, mom booked an appointment with the principle of Sherwood on Tuesday, and Northridge on Wednesday.

* * *

><p>Over the weekend, I went out with Cat, Beck, and André. Robbie made the wise decision to stay at home. After we started drinking, everything went blurry.<p>

On Monday evening, mom got the phone-call, and it was official. I'd been expelled.

On Tuesday I visited Sherwood, and it was just... Dreadful.

The next day I visited Northridge, and to my surprise, it was ten times worse than Sherwood. I decided then and there that I was going to the latter.

Come Friday afternoon, my application had been accepted.

I spent Saturday drowning my sorrows in liquor, and again, I didn't remember much.

On Sunday I moped around on the couch and watched old videos on TheSlap, knowing that my account was scheduled for deletion. I saved all my favourite photo's on my phone, and then Cat came around, and we spent the evening 'fixing' my new uniform.

I ripped up my tights, and cut the skirts in half. Cat added chains to the sides of the waistbands, and tailored my light-blue shirts so they hugged my curves. The top buttons got ripped off, and I dyed my navy-blue tie black after remembering a group of girls wearing purple ones during my visit. I found the school blazer to be repulsive, so I cut the badge from it, and Cat sewed it onto the pocket of a cute leather jacket. I put on my favourite boots, and once I added my jewellery, the outfit was more me.

* * *

><p>Standing outside of Sherwood, I took a deep breath. It was 8:30am, and there were 45 minutes until school started. My mom came with me into the building, and Principle Dickerson showed us to his office. He looked at my uniform with a raised brow, but he didn't say anything.<p>

After a tedious conversation about expectations, Dickerson handed me a timetable, a planner, a map, another copy of the student handbook, a student ID, and a locker key. I folded the timetable and map up, and then slipped them into my pocket along with the key. Everything else got stuffed in my bag.

I said bye to my mom, and kissed her cheek. She told me she loved me, I told her I loved her, and then I watched her leave. When I checked the time on my phone, it was only 9:03, so I wandered around the corridors.

I was walking through the maths block when I saw a girl with a purple tie at the end of the corridor. She smiled, and rushed towards me in that creepy way needy people do.

"You were here last week, right?" she asked.

"You already know the answer to that question, right?"

She let out a fake giggle. "Well, yeah! But I didn't want to seem stalkerish or anything," she said.

It was too late for that. "Who're you?" I asked.

"I'm Amy. President of the student council, cheerleading captain, and head of the purple ties," she said proudly.

It was my turn to laugh. "You actually call yourselves that?" I asked, smirking slightly.

If looks could've killed.

She looked me up and down, and then said, "You seem cool."

"Tell me something I don't know."

That fake laugh again. It almost sounded like Cat's laugh, but something about it rubbed me the wrong way. It wasn't sweet, and it wasn't cute.

"I'm thinking that you might have what it takes to be one of us," Amy said.

It took me a moment to realise that she meant her little purple club, and I smiled insincerely.

"Thanks, but I'm good." I pointed to my own tie.

"You're welcome, and think about it. Me and my girls are holding a meeting at the end of the month, and we've been looking for a new member. You should come along," she said.

"I might do that." Translation: I won't ever do that.

"Well, you'll be seeing me around, so let me know if you want in."

With that, Amy walked away, and I was left with a bad taste in my mouth. I brushed it off and had a look at the map I'd been provided. I found the locker matching the number on my key, but straightaway I noticed that there wasn't a keyhole. As I was walking away, somebody tapped on my shoulder.

I turned around, and I saw another preppy girl with bleach blonde hair and a purple-tie. I was beginning to get the feeling that they were more of a cult than a clique or a club. Like the slutty illuminati.

"You must be new. The combination's one, two, two, one, eight, one. The date the school was founded. The key is for a locker in the sport block, and you're welcome."

"Okayyy," I said.

I went back and dialled the combination. The inside of my locker was dented, and residue from stickers covered the back and sides. I made a mental note to bring things to decorate with, and then put my books for the afternoon in there.

When I shut the door and turned around, the purple-tie was still standing there, watching me like a tree frog. "Can I help you?" I asked.

She shook her head. "Nope. Amy told me that you're coming to the meeting, so I just thought I'd come by and check you out is all," she said quickly.

"And you are?"

"Lottie."

Another girl came around the corner and whispered something in her ear. Lottie squealed, and then said, "It's been nice to meet you, Jade, but I've gotta go so, bye."

I didn't get a chance to reply before she was gone, and I wasn't sure what to make of Amy and her minions. They could've been stalking me for all I knew, because they seemed to know exactly where to find me, and I'm 99.9% sure that I didn't tell the first one my name, yet somehow the second one knew it... Weird.

* * *

><p>When I walked into homeroom, the place was practically empty. In the corner there were 2 girls, and at the front, there was the teacher. I knew I was in the right place, so I sat in a chair near the window. 10 minutes went by, and only 2 more people turned up. I didn't even bother asking why, and I left as soon as the bell rang. According to my timetable, I'd 10 minutes to get to my first class, and as it was only around the corner, I used the map to find a bathroom.<p>

The closest were the freshman bathrooms, but I needed the toilet, so pushed the door open. I heard sobbing, and I stopped dead in my tracks. But a second later, the noise stopped, and I knew I'd made my presence known. I didn't know what I was supposed to say, so I thought hard about what my mom would've said if I'd been the one crying.

"It'll be okay."

It came out sounding like more of a question as opposed to a comforting statement.

I heard another sob, and then a sharp intake of breath. Against my better judgment, I asked, "What's your name?"

No response.

"Mine's Jade," I said.

After a short pause, there was a hiccup, and then she spoke up. "I, I'm Victoria."

"Are you okay, Victoria?"

I honestly didn't realise what a stupid question that was until I heard myself say it.

I waited for Victoria to say something back, but she didn't. She started crying again, and I didn't know what to do or say. She sounded like she was having a meltdown in there, and knowing that I'd probably contributed to it, it would've been awkward if I had stayed to pee, so I left the poor kid alone.

I felt kinda bad afterwards.

* * *

><p>In English class I listened, and even made a few notes. But I'll admit that I was wholly relived when the lesson came to an end. Why would I want to read about Shakespeare, when I could've been acting out his plays? I figured that was how things went in regular school.<p>

I was making my way to Music class when I heard a commotion down the hall. Being a nosey person, I had to go and check it out. As I watched from afar, I saw a bunch of girls that had been running, come to a stop. 3 of them had backed a girl into corner, and they were squirting bottled water on her.

I slowly walked towards them, and I could hear what they were saying.

"You didn't think you could hide from us forever, did you?"

"Disappearing for a week was a _really_ bad idea, whorey."

"So you better be good, because we have something you want."

Getting closer, I recognised one of the hairstyle's as Amy's.

"You know what it is, don't you?"

I prodded the back of Amy's neck, and she turned around, ready to pounce. When she saw me, her demeanour completely changed, and she said, "Hey, you! This is our friend. We were just having a little chat."

"Well to me it looked like you were being little bitches," I scoffed.

It took me a fraction of a second to realise that was probably the wrong thing to say. But what had been said couldn't be taken back, so I began an intense stare down with Amy. In a matter of seconds, I won that battle, and she and her posse walked away whilst gossiping among themselves. I could sense though, that wasn't the last I'd be seeing of those purple ties.

I examined the girl, and something about her struck a chord in me.

"You shouldn't have done that," she muttered, not looking up.

"But I did."

She laughed nervously. "Well, thank-you. I'm Victoria, but you can call me Tori," she whispered.

That's when I made the connection.

She said, "Not to be rude or anything, but I've really gotta go, so thanks again. And um, yeah. Bye."

Tori walked past me, and I watched her go down the corridor. Every time somebody brushed past her, she flinched. She was like a ferrel cat in need of some love.

"I'm Jade!" I called after her.

* * *

><p><em>...Okay. So, Jade &amp; Tori have met. Things will be pretty Jori-centric from now on. The next chapter will be in Jade's POV again, and it'll be part school, part Tori's home life.<em>

_Thank-you to everybody who reviewed/followed/favourited last chapter! The notifications made my day. It's like finding little nuggets of gold, hehe ;)._

_Have a good day now. _

_~ TLS_


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